Columbus Short, ‘Scandal’ Star, Arrested for Domestic Violence

Former Scandal star Columbus Short was arrested for domestic violence in California on Feb. 2 after an argument with his wife, Aida Abramyan-Short, turned violent. Short, 39, was previously arrested for domestic violence in 2018 and spent about a month in prison. He was also arrested after a 2014 bar fight.

Short’s latest legal trouble started when police were called to a home in the San Fernando Valley at around 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 2, law enforcement sources told TMZ. When police arrived, Short told officers his wife punched him, but he had no visible marks. Police said they spoke with Abramyan-Short and noticed she suffered a minor injury, which did not require medical attention.

Short was arrested for felony domestic violence because of the injury. He was in custody for about 12 hours before he posted a $50,000 bond.

The actor has not been charged yet. He has not commented on the situation, but he did post a quote from 1 Corinthians on Sunday. “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training,” the quote reads. “They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” In his caption, Short included the hashtag “levitating 2022.”

Short has had run-ins with the police before. In March 2014, he got into a fight at a Los Angeles bar, and knocked a man unconscious. He was sentenced to three years probation, 60 days community service, and to take 26 anger management classes, TMZ reported at the time. He also had to pay the victim for restitution.

Short was still on probation when he was arrested again in 2018. In that case, he allegedly hit Abramyan-Short during an argument. He pleaded no contest and spent 34 days behind bars.

The actor is best known for playing Harrison Wright on Scandal from 2012 to 2014. In April 2014, Short said he was leaving the show because of alleged domestic violence involving his second ex-wife, Tanee McCall. Short also told Access Hollywood Live in December 2014 that his cocaine abuse also played a role and showrunner Shonda Rhimes was aware of his struggles with drugs.

“I’ll be candid. I was struggling with drugs,” Short told Access in 2014. “I had a lot on my plate, and you know, I was using unhealthy ways to kind of self-medicate and deal with a lot of heavy duty stuff in my life. I was doing cocaine and drinking a lot, and trying to balance a 16-hour work schedule a day, and a family, and I just lost myself back then.”

Since leaving Scandal, Short has appeared in a handful of movies, including The Girl Is In Trouble, American Violence, Armed, Atone, and True to the Game 2: Gena’s Story. Before Scandal, Short starred in ER, That’s So Raven, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Accepted, and Stomp the Yard.